Bridget R Cooks on Alma Thomas

The Great Women Artists

Katy Hessel

Arts

4.8 • 944 Ratings

🗓️ 11 August 2020

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In episode 37 of The Great Women Artists Podcast, Katy Hessel interviews the world-renowned art historian Bridget R Cooks on the SENSATIONAL and PIONEERING Abstract artist, ALMA THOMAS (1891–1978) !!!! [This episode is brought to you by Alighieri jewellery: www.alighieri.co.uk | use the code TGWA at checkout for 10% off!] And WOW. This is one of the most incredible and UPLIFTING life stories I have heard of an artist whose work I am completely in love with – partially for the reason that Alma Thomas did not become an artist until she was in her 70s!!! A schoolteacher from 1924–1960 (!), it wasn't until after retirement that Alma Thomas took up painting professionally. Enrolling in University as a senior, she quickly shot to fame and was the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney in 1972. She was a groundbreaker. Known for her electric-like canvases, Alma Thomas transposed the way she saw the world onto the canvas through her shards of shimmering colour that represented flowers, music, science, to the first man landing on the moon and the invention of colour television. Some more muted than others, colour was Alma Thomas's lifeline: “A world without colour would seem dead. Colour, for me, is life” In this episode – one of my favourites EVER, as told by Bridget so eloquently – we discuss Alma Thomas's life in great detail – including a VERY sweet and personal story from Bridget; what made her choose to be an educator for nearly five decades; her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement despite not 'directly' addressing these issues in her work; her relevance today; looking at museums' role in promoting Black artists; and of course, Alma's global fame when none other than MICHELLE OBAMA acquired her work as the first Black woman artist in the White House Collection in 2015. This is a really beautiful, uplifting SUNNY episode. And I hope you enjoy it. WORKS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE! Iris, Tulips, Jonquils, Crocuses (1969) Arboretum Presents White Dogwood (1972) March on Washington (1963–4) Wind, Sunshine, and Flowers (1968) Blast Off (1970) Launch Pad (1970) Cherry Blossom Symphony (1973) Pond Spring Awakening (1972) Resurrection (White House – 1966) FURTHER READING: https://nmwa.org/art/artists/alma-woodsey-thomas/ https://studiomuseum.org/exhibition/alma-thomas https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/resurrection-by-alma-thomas This episode is sponsored by Alighieri https://alighieri.co.uk/ @alighieri_jewellery Use the code: TGWA for 10% off! Follow us: Katy Hessel: @thegreatwomenartists / @katy.hessel Sound editing by Amber Miller (@amber_m.iller) Artwork by @thisisaliceskinner Music by Ben Wetherfield https://www.thegreatwomenartists.com/

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to the Great Woman Artist podcast. I hope you are all doing well. I am so delighted to say that this podcast is brought to you by one of my favourite jewelry brands, Allegieri. Aligieri is a collection of jewelry inspired by Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. Each piece corresponds to one of the poet's 100 poems. As the
0:23.6	pilgrim journeys through the realms of hell, purgatory and paradise, he encounters mythical creatures,
0:29.3	scragy landscapes and terrifying demons. Just like Dante's subjects, each piece of jewelry is battered,
0:36.4	imperfect, and a little bit melancholy. Every piece
0:39.7	tells a story embodying a modern heirloom that will travel with you on your own adventures.
0:45.5	I am so excited to announce that from August 1st to the 22nd, the gates of Aligieri Old Town
0:51.5	will be open, bringing loved ones together to reunite, shop, dine and
0:56.6	explore in an old Italian piazza placed in the centre of London. Close to Old Street Station,
1:03.4	Ford Dingley Place will be transformed into an Italian utopia, transporting you to the holiday
1:08.9	that 2020 has not yet allowed. The town will offer
1:13.0	Allegieri's signature modern heirlooms, bespoke talismans, flash treasure trove discounts, and one-of-a-kind
1:19.4	souvenirs. In the heart of the piazza lies Casaluna, the town's oldest restaurant, where they serve
1:25.8	antipasti, handwold pasta and dolce.
1:29.0	Visit allegieri.com.com.com for more details and to book your shopping appointment in the
1:34.2	Allegieri Old Town or to book dinner at Casaluna. Meanwhile, Aligieri will be donating 10%
1:40.6	of all online orders to refuge. And I hope you enjoy this episode.
1:50.1	Hello everyone and welcome to The Great Women Artist's podcast with me, Katie Hessel.
1:58.4	Some of you might know me from The Great Women Artists, an Instagram account I set up in
2:02.4	October 2015, which celebrates female artists on a daily basis, ranging from young graduates to old
2:08.8	masters. Well, in a similar fashion to the Instagram, this podcast is all about celebrating female
2:15.3	artists from a variety of backgrounds and histories.
2:18.3	And I am so excited to be interviewing artists on their career or artists, writers, curators or general art lovers on the women artist who means most of them.
	...

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